This program for welcoming members to The Catholic Women’s League of Canada has been designed in response
to the voices of members across Canada. It relates to two critical issues identified in the strategic plan—1. Include
(leave no member behind) and affirm (make members feel welcomed, needed and wanted), and 2. Validate all
members. It is intended to assist you as you welcome members to your parish council and to encourage the
involvement of all members. You spoke, and you were heard. Best practices and great ideas were researched from
councils and external organizations. Included in this program are suggestions, ideas and resources for you to adapt
and customize to use in ways that will work best for your council.
Welcoming is not a one-time event. It is a continuous process and mindset that touches members on an ongoing
basis. It is what will help members to feel that they are genuinely connected and part of the organization. It is
what makes the League a great sisterhood and will keep members engaged and committed. It is essential to make
sure new members feel welcomed and at home from their first day and every day. The responsibility for welcoming
does not fall solely on the parish council president. She should be sure to ask for the executive’s cooperation and
participation and work with them to implement practices to welcome and affirm all members.
God did not intend for us to live in isolation. We are made to be relational, to have relationships with others that
grow and thrive. We are made for community; living and participating in community is necessary for our well-being.
The benefits of community include inspiration, motivation, feeling understood, connecting with others on the same
journey and supporting each other. Community is encouraging and fun; it attracts the Holy Spirit and fosters love.
These are some of the reasons women join—the companionship of sisterhood experienced in the League.
The League’s mission to call “its members to grow in faith, and to witness to the love of God through ministry
and service” and its core values, (faith—following Catholic teaching; service—local, national and international; and
social justice—actively involved in society) form the basis on which this Welcome Program is built.